Judaism

Funeral May 23 for Prof. Janet Brody Esser

By Lawrence Baron SAN DIEGO — Janet Brody Esser died early morning May 22 from cancer and injuries related to a recent auto accident. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she received her BA from the University of Iowa, MA in art history with an emphasis on anthropology and archeology from California State University, Long Beach, […]

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International, Lawrence Baron, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

The floods of Gilgamesh and the Bible

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — There are remarkable similarities between the biblical story of the flood and the more ancient version of Gilgamesh. The Babylonian epic Gilgamesh was written on twelve tablets around 2000 BCE and has survived in several versions. It was discovered in 1839 among the ruins of a

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Middle East

Zionism an important component of Wouk’s legacy

By Moshe Phillips PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — Herman Wouk, the famed novelist who first became a household name for his 1951 Pulitzer Prize winning The Caine Mutiny died last week nearly 70 years after achieving fame. Besides his long career as a writer he was also a lifelong Zionist. This fact of Wouk’s love affair with the State of Israel has been completely absent from the many articles celebrating his literary

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Middle East, USA

An Independence Day tour of Israel

By Steve Kramer KFAR SAVA, Israel — Just 71 years ago, Israel declared its independence based on several factors: *God promised the Land of Israel to the Jews in the Bible – echoed in the Christian Bible and even (gasp!) in the Koran. *Three ancient Jewish kingdoms in Israel are part of archaeological and historical

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Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food

Contrasting the Bible with Greek mythology

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Greek and Jewish myths, reports and tales appear at first blush to be remarkably similar, but there are stark differences in how each culture views God, the world, the presence of evil, the worth of people, their duty, and their future. Psychologists have recognized that one

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Family, clergy, extol Cantor Merel on his 95th birthday

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Family members and three fellow clergy saluted Cantor Emeritus Shelly Foster Merel of Congregation Beth Israel  on his 95th birthday  during a dinner gathering Saturday night, May 18, at the Bay Club Hotel and Marina on Shelter Island.  There were so many speakers that the presentations went on

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County

Anti- Semitic imagery at San Diego State University

By Peter C. Herman Times of San Diego SAN DIEGO — On May 8, the Women’s Resource Center at San Diego State University sent out a newsletter featuring announcements for lectures, courses from the Women’s Studies Department, and other items of interest. But at the bottom of the email, a student inserted a poster-like image

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education

Weekly Torah portion: Emor

By Rabbi Joshua Dorsch SAN DIEGO — In our Torah portion this week, Parashat Emor, we read about the sabbatical year, the seventh year where farmers are supposed to refrain from planting their crops. The number seven is a very powerful and symbolic number in Judaism. God created the world in six days, designating every

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Jewish Religion

Levin: Poway shooting was a step backwards for U.S.

By Rep. Mike Levin OCEANSIDE, California — Recently Jewish families around the world celebrated Passover, a time of renewal, freedom and reflection on our shared values. At Chabad of Poway, located just outside of my district in San Diego County, the conclusion of these holiest of days was interrupted by evil. Lori Gilbert Kaye was

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Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USA

Israel’s Tourism Triumph, Part IV

To read previous installments, please click on the number desired:1,2,3  The Religious Lure © Edwin Black JERUSALEM — When the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement [BDS] mounted a campaign against Israel, it targeted more than Israel’s economy, including tourism—which has nonetheless flourished beyond any expectation. The “D” in BDS really stands for delegitimize. So the

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Edwin Black, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Travel and Food, USA